Improvement in hoese hat-foeks



@uitrit tetes atrnt @frn Letters Patent No. 77,125, dated April 21, 1868.

IMPROVEMENT IN HORSE HAY-FORKS.

dlgs .tlgihule referat tu in tigen wird nteut sin mating ,ont tf tte stmt TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: l Be it known that I, J. B. SWEETLAND, of Pontiac, in the county of Oakland, and in the State of Michigan, have invented new and useful Improvement in Hay and Manure-Forks; and do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to thelaccompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon. i

In lthe annexed drawings, making part of this specification, A A represent two arms, which are formed in the shape represented, the two ends, a and c, of cach arm forming a little less than a right angle between them.l

'. Ihese arms are provided, near their centres, on their vedges which are contiguons,'with the gear-teeth z'z', and these teeth gear together. -P represents a plate, which is placed o`ver the teeth z', and which is pivoted or riveted to each of. the arms, and serves to bind them securely together'. B B represent braces/which connect the ends 0f the arms together, and give strength .to them. Sockets are formed in the ends d ofethe arms, and in these sockets the Shanks of the tines G Gr and H I-I are inserted, and secured by suitable nuts.

It will be seen that I employ two sets of tines, G Cr being secured at the extremities ofthe arms, and the tines II II a little distance from them, and nearer toward thc centre ofthe'fork. The object in having two sets of tines is that the fork willl raise its load ol' hay with more ease to itself, as there will-be less pressure upon their points, and then the hay is kept more securely in position, not being allowed to lturn to one side or the other. I

-I propose to use an arrangement similar to 'that represented in Figure 2 for the outer tines, using a crosshead, J, with two or more tines secured to it. This cross-head will be previdedwith a bolt, I, vWhich projects upward from its centre, and which passes through the socket in the end of the arm, for securingvit to said arm. To .the end e of arm A", I secure, by a pivot, a bar, D, and to the end e of arm A, I pivot a bar, C.- These two bars, C and D, are pivoted together at ze, as seen. i

E represents a trip-lever, which is pivoted to the bar D. One end of this lever rests underthe bar C, and the other end below bar D, this lower end being provided with a hole, in which a cord will be inserted for tripping the fork, and allowing the hay to slip from its grasp.

- It will readily be seen that when the lower or loose ends ot' the tines are brought together, the pivot x, which connects the two bars C and D together, will be a little below a line drawn from the points where the two bars are pivoted to the arms. This being the case, the two arms C and D brace the two upper ends ofthe arms A and A', so that the tines cannot open. In order to open the tines, it is necessary to operate upon the triplever E, which, when its lower end is drawn downward, presses with its upper end against the bar C, so as to throw it upward. As soon as this occurs, the weight of the hay forces open the tines, and it drops from the fork. The fork is suspended by means ot chains or ropes, which fasten in the holes d cl in the arms, and are then secured together alittle above the fork. These chains or ropes have, of course, a tendency to throw open the tines as soon as the bars C and D are thrown out of line. v.

The cross-head J, with two or more tines, can be used with great advantage in lifting manure, as it holds the manure together better than it could be held by singletines. I

I design using this fork both as a hay and manure-fork.

Having thus fully described myinvention, what I claim as new, and desire te secure by Letters Patent, is

I. The arms A and A, constructed substantially. as represented, and provided with two sets of tines, G' G and I-I H, as and for'the purpose-set forth.'

2. The cross-head J, provided with two or more tines, and adjust-ably or rigidly connected to the arms A A, as audvfer thepurpose set forth.

In testimony that I claim the, foregoing, .L nave hereunto set my hand, this 26th day of Mareh,1868.

J. B. SWEE'ILAND.

Witnesses V. D. Sroennnngen,

A. N. MARR. 

